Combination vanity and cigarette case



June 25, 1929. c, J: MURNANE 1,718,481

cousxm'mou VANITY AND CIGARETTE CASE Filed Sept. 30. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ange/777k? v J1me 1929- c. J. MURNANE 1.718.481

COMBINATION VANITY AND CIGARETTE cA-SE Y Filed Sept. 30, 1927 2 Sheets-Shem, 2

Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES CHARLES J. MURNANE, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

COMBINATION VANITY AND CIGARETTE CASE.

Application filed September 30, 1927.

My invention relates to a new and useful combination vanity and cigarette case and it has for its object to provide a case of this kind for holding various articles, such as cigarettes, matches, toilet articles and the like. In the best form of my invention I provide two trays or holders either of which may be fitted into the case with provision for removal and substitution .of the other. One of these two trays or holders is provided with cigarette holding means and also with various toilet articles or cosmetics such as are usedby women and when this tray is employed within the case the latter is particularly adapted for use by women. The

other of these two trays or holders is constructed with means for holding thereon a plurality of cigarettes or other articles for use by men and when this tray or holder is used within the case the latter is appropriate for mens use. Thus my invention, in its best form, contemplates a combination vanity and cigarette case whose interior equipment or construction is readily convertible so as to adapt it for use by either men or women.

A feature of my invention also consists in providing a handle, preferably flexible, which may consist of a length of metal chain provided at its ends with means for separably engaging with the case or container so that when the latter is equipped with a tray for womens use the chain handle can be securely attached at its ends to the same, and when the case or box is equipped for mens use the chain handle can be removed.

Other features of my invention are hereinafter pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of my new case or container showing the same open.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the box body of the case or container shown in Figure 1, the lid or cover, hereinafter referred to, being removed.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 except that one of the trays or holders hereinafter referred to is shown in position within said box or body.

Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the trays or holders referred to later.

Figure 5 is a side view of the tray or holder shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig- Serial No. 222,957. 1

me 1 but showing the cover in its closed position.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the case or container with the lid or cover in its closed position.

Figure 8 is a sectional detail on line 8-8 of Figure 1.

Figures 9, 10 and 11 are details hereinafter described.

My improved case comprises a body in the form of a box including a bottom wall 1, two end walls 2, 2, a back wall 3 and a front side wall 4, said box body being prov ded with a lid or cover 5 hinged at 6, Figure 1, to the top middle portion of the back wall 3. At the middle of the front wall 4 there is provided a stud 7 which is beveled or undercut at its opposite sides, as shown at 8, 8, Figure 1 and this stud 7 co-operates with a yoke 9,'Figures 1, 6 and 7, provided at the free end and middle of the lid or cover 5, said yoke being disposed perpendicularly with relation to said lid or cover. The two jaws. 10, 10 are adapted to receive between'them the stud 7, as shown in Figure 7, when the lid is swung down into its closed position and the inner sides of these jaws lO'are beveled to fit the opposite beveled sides of the stud 7 and to underlie the same when the yoke is in engagement with the stud. The entrance end of the slot between the two jaws 10, 10 is slightly narrower than the width of the shank portion of the stud 7. It will therefore be clear that when the lid 5 is swung down into its closed position the two jaws 10, 10 are sprung apart slightly as they pass alongside of the stud 7 and when the lid 5 is fully closed they spring toward each other thus securely holding the lid closed. The yoke 9 is provided with a thumb piece 11 and the front wall 4 of the box body is provided with a thumb stud 12. By thumb pressure upon the finger piece 11 and stud 12 in opposite directions the lid may be forced open. 1

Upon the inner face of the lid 5, and near one end thereof, I may provide a U-shaped coin holder 13 constructed with its inner end portion of a width to receive coins of one denomination, for example dimes, and having its outer end portion made wider to i rigidly fastened by rivets or otherwise to the cover or lid 5 while the opposite leg of said holder is left free so that it can be flexed laterally. As shown in Figure 8 the inner sides of the two legs 14 and 15 of the U-shaped coin holder 13 are undercut or beveled as at 16 so that when a coin is slid edgewise in between these two legs 14 and 15 the beveled sides 16 thereof overhang the coin, indicated by dotted lines at C in Figure 8, and securely hold the latter in place. A stud 17 projecting from the lid or cover 5 just outside of the leg 15 of the holder 13, has rotatably mounted upon it an eccentric or cam 18 bearing at one side against the outer side of the leg 15, said outer side of the leg 15 being beveled as shown at 19, Figure 1,'so'as to underlie the side of the cam 18 which' is made with a complementary bevel.

After the coins are inserted within the holder 13 the user, by pressure against the shoulder 20 on cam 18 rotates the latter in a direction to flex the arm 15 toward the arm lt thereby locking the coins within the holder.

At the opposite end of the cover or lid 5,

and upon the inner face thereof, is riveted or otherwise secured, a metal pocket 21 for holding a nail tile '22 flatwise against the cover. Between the coin holder 13 and the pocket 21 is a mirror '23 which may consist of a piece of treated glass or a piece of polished metal and this mirror is held in iSiJ-SllEtPGCl in cross-section providing a baseportion 28 fitting against and secured to the lid 5 and a spring jaw 29 overhanging or overlapping the ad acent marginal portion of the mirror 23 so as to hold the latter fiatwis'e'against thelid 5 with one end'oit'the mirror in engagement with the abutment 24 and the opposite endthereot in engagement,

. or immediately opposite, the base portion 28 of the clip abutment 25. The mirror engaging side of the abutment 24 and base 28 are bowed-or concaved and the opposite endsof the mirror 23 arecorrespondingly shaped; therefore, the mirror 23 is held 2tgL1Il$tlCllSp1aC6II16I1t edgewlse and sidewise.

.- By inserting the end of a pen knife blade under the spring jaw 29, the latter may be spr'ung'outwardly far enough to permit the adjacent end of'the mirror to be moved away from thelid 5 toclear the base porthe mirror can be placed against the lid 5 and then by shoving the mirror endwise toward the abutment 24 the spring jaw 29 will automatically position the mirror between the two abutments 24 and 28.

Within the box body of my new case or container I provide a removable tray 30, Figures 1 and 6, or 31*, Figures 3, 1 and 5.

The tray 30'is a piece of sheet metal that is cut and bent to provide a match r ceptacle or compartment 31 at one end of the tray from the inner side and middle of which extends a spring cigarette retaining arm 32. This arm 32 is disposed longitudinally of the tray 30 at the middle thereof and is spaced above or away from the tray to provide room between the latter and said arm for the accommodation of a plurality of cigarettes 33, said spring arm 32 being provided at its free end with a laterally projecting portion or arm 34 between which and the compartment 31 the cigarettes are confined. The tray 30 is merely deposited within the box 40 of the case and is provided near its back or rear side with a hole 35 which loosely receives a stud 36 provided upon the bottom wall 1 of the box body. This stud 36 serves, to position the tray 30 within the body and to as sist in holding the same against movement therein.

\Vithin the box body, and adjacent the front wall at thereof, I provide a bail-shaped lever 37 made from thin sheet metal whose middle portion occupies a position between the bottom wall 1' of the'body and the tray 30. This lever 37 is provided at its opposite ends with trunnion portions 38 extending through holes provided in the two side walls 2 of the body, one of these holes being indicated by dotted lines at 39 in Figure. 6. Upon the outsideof the walls 2 these trunnion portions 38 are provided with laterally projecting arms 40 which serve as handles or finger pieces by means of which the lever 37 is operated. By pressure upon one or the other of the finger pieces 40 the lever 37 can be swung on the trunnions 38 away from the bottom wall 1 thereby swinging the tray 30 upwardly at its front side so as to lift the ends of the cigarettes 33 andthe end of the match compartment 31 above. the plane of the top of the front wall 4 whenit is'desired to remove a cigarette, match or other article from the tray, or when it is desired to remove the tray itself.

In practice, I preferably provide two trays 30 and 31 the former being equipped with various articles for use by women and the latter being adapted to hold merely cigarettes and matches for use by men. Accordingly I have shown the tray 30 provided with a lipstick holder 41 removably mounted within a spring clip 42 secured to tray 30; a receptacle 43 for holding rouge, and a receptacle 44 for holding face powder.

As will be clear, the trays 30'and 31 are interchangeable; that is, either may be substituted for the other when desired.

lVhen the box body is provided with a tray 30 for womens use said box body may have applied to it a chain handle 45 which is detachably connected with the body so that when the other tray 31, for mens use, is substituted, the handle 45 can be removed. Each end of the chain 45 is provided with a T-shaped coupling member 46 comprising an apertured body 47 to which the end of the chain is connected; a round shank portion 48 and a transverse head 49. As shown in Figure 7 the front wall 4 of the box body is made near the opposite ends thereof with slots 50 through which the heads 49 can be passed to the inner side of the wall. \Vhen connecting either end of the chain 45 with the box body the head 49 is passed through one of the slots 50 and then rotated 90 degrees so that it is disposed at right angles to the slot. To hold the'coupling heads 46 thus interlocked with the wall 4 I provide angular thin sheet metal springs 51 fastened in position within the body and occupying positions immediately behind the slots 50, each of these springs being provided with a socket or pocket 52 directly opposite its slot 51 and at right angles thereto. When one of the coupling members 46 is pushed into its slot 51 it first bends the spring 51 of that slot away from the wall and then when the coupling member is turned 90 degrees the socket or pocket 52 of the spring registers with the head 49 and snaps into position around the same thus locking the coupling member in that position. The op- Eosite side walls of each pocket 52 are eveled so that by forcibly rotating the coupling member 46 the spring 51 will be flexed away from the wall 4 thus allowing the head 49 to be registered with and withdrawn through the slot 51 when it is desired to disconnect the chain from the body.

As shown in Figures 1 3 and 4 the exterior of the match compartment 31 may be provided with an abrasive surface 53 upon which to strike matches.

The tray 31, Figures 4 and 5, is provided at its inner edge with a perpendicular wall or side 54 against which the inner ends of the cigarettes abut. Also its hole 36 is the same as the hole 36 of the tray 30 while its spring arm 32 for holding the cigarettes in position upon the tray, is the same as the arm 32 of tray 30 except that said arm 32 is longer and extends from the match receptacle 31 to the opposite end of the tray.

A vanity case or the like of the class described necessarily holds many different articles and the present invention makes use of both the inner side of the cover or lid and the top side of the tray 30 to hold a comparatively great number of toilet articles and the like which are fixed thereon and so disposed or arranged relatively that the box can be made very thin which is a. feature very much to be desired in an article of this kind.

What I claim is:

1. A case or container of the character described comprising a box body; a lid hinged to said box body; an article holding tray removably mounted within said box body, saidtray being constructed with a match receptacle at one end thereof and with a flexible cigarette retaining arm extending laterally from said receptacle toward the opposite end of said tray so as to hold a plurality of cigarettes on the latter and parallel with said match receptacle.

2. A case or container of the character described comprising a rectangular box body; alid hinged to said box body; a rectangular tray removably fitted within said box body made at one end thereof with a match receptacle and having a flexible cigarette retaining arm extending laterally from said receptacle toward the opposite end of said tray so as to hold a plurality of cigarettes on the latter and parallel with said match receptacle, and means on said box body for lifting one side of said tray to render accessible the ends of the cigarettes held by it.

3. A case or container comprising a box body; a lid hinged to said box body; a tray removably mounted within said box body and equipped with holding means; a lever mounted within said box body and operable from the exterior thereof to lift said tray to render accessible articles held by it; and a chain handle provided at its opposite ends with coupling members separably engaging said box body.

4. A case or container comprising a box body; a lid hinged to said box body, and a tray removably mounted within said box body consisting of a single piece of sheet metal cut and bent to provide at one end thereof a tubular match receptacle and to provide intermediate the ends of the latter a flexible cigarette retaining arm extending laterally from one side of said match receptacle toward the opposite end of said tray.

5. A case or container of the character described comprising a box body; a lid hinged to said box body; a tray removably mounted within said box body made from a single piece of sheet metal cut and bent to provide at one end thereof a match receptaclec having a flexible cigarette retaining arm extending therefrom toward the opposite end of said tray, and a thin sheet metal lever occupying a position between said tray and the bottom of said box body, said lever having'trunnion portions journaled in the opposite side walls of said box body and one of said trunnion portions being provided body; a lid hmgedto said box body; a tray removably mounted -w1th1n said box body upon the exterior of said box body with an arm'by means of which said lever is operated to lift said tray.

6. A vanity case or the like having in combination a box body whereof one wall is provided with two slots; a chain handle provided at each end thereof with a T- shaped coupling member whereof .the head is adapted to be passed throughone of said slots and turned so as to occupy a position at rightangles thereto, and means for yieldingly holding saidcoupling member against rotative displacement.

7. A vanity'case or the like constructed in accordance with claim 6 wherein the means for holding each coupling member against rotative displacement consists of a spring mounted Within the box body behind one of said slots whose free end porti'onis made with a socket disposed .crosswiserof vsaid slot and adapted to receive the head '8. A case or containercomprising a box consistingof a single piece of sheet metal cut and bent to provide at one end thereof a transversely disposed match receptacle having a perpendicular cigarette retaining 'arm extending from said match receptacle part way toward the opposite end of said tray and parallel with thelatter; means on and forming part of said tray for holding other things, said means being disposed between said arm and said opposite end of the tray; and a lid hinged to said box body. Signed by me at Boston, county of Sufl olk and State of Massachusetts this 20th day'of September, 1927. V a

v CHARLES J. MURNANE. 

